I started my usual bhajan teaching with the patients and that went well. Their occupational therapist came in while I was teaching them. She was so happy to see me. She said she has heard a lot about me and how I teach.
I then went to the group of Model House Girls and started to give them topics and asked them to say a few sentences in English. I was told that since Thiruverkadu is in the outskirts, their schools do not get the best English teachers. Hence, the students do not know English that well. I would take each of their sentences and explain why each word is placed where it is and how they can remember the usage of each word. It was an interesting process. Some kids barely knew the words in English.
These girls and I have developed a strong bonding. They’re like my friends, and at the same time my students who look up to me. Most of these girls were here from the time they were born. One girl was introduced to me as a newcomer. I was curious as to what a newcomer means. Surely, that meant she was rescued from some trouble. Just the way I had thought, she and her mother were rescued as they were abandoned. Her mother has stage 3 cancer and is terminally ill. This child has seen a lot in life and is scarred. She is so scared that she will lose her mother. She has previously lost her father, and she hasn’t gotten over that yet… and now her mother is severely sick. She was not doing so well when she was with her mother. She had to see her mom deteriorate and at the same time she was getting depressed and emotionally deteriorating as well. So, she was separated and placed with girls her own age. One morning, she woke up crying profusely. Her caretaker kept asking her why she was crying. She said, “Aunty, I had a dream that my mom left me and has gone far away and that I’m holding on to you tightly and crying.” Even the caretaker was devastated and was crying while trying to pacify the child. I have developed a strong liking to this child as she is always seen as a chirpy little, happy little girl on the outside while going through such problems.
I then played games like Snake and Ladder with the girls during their free time. They insisted that I eat with them. I sat down. I was given sweet as I was a guest in their home. I started to take a bite. None of the others had their full meals served like they usually do I guess. A girl saw me taking a bite of my sweet and said… hey girls lets do our prayer. They said their prayer to God in Sanskrit, and then it was followed by: “Papa, thank you for the food that you have provided us with today.” I was touched.
These girls shared a few amazing facts with me. About 750 people live on this campus. There’s usually food cooked for 1000 people daily. Food is distributed to the poor people on the streets around Thiruverkadu as well. Udavum Karangal is now extending their hand to the people outside their organization. Not only that, they have built 72 homes for the Tsunami victim families.
I then taught Balvikas for another set of kids. They greet me like CRAZY… Ramya Aunty Ramya Aunty… (yes, I just accepted them calling me an aunty…) oh my! The little ones just love me…even the kids I haven’t personally met yet know my name and what I’m doing here. It’s a joy to just walk around the campus and see so many smiling faces each day.
I went to the girls’ dormitories… and met the lady in charge. What’s so great is that everybody – whether they’re younger than me… around my age… around my mom’s age… or older – gives so much respect. It’s the culture of this place. I was awed by their unity in how well they treat people.
This day was a beautiful day. Thank you God.
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